Tuesday, 26 July 2016

One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town has so much going for it – long sandy beaches, fantastic food and locally produced wine, and the most exquisite natural setting I have seen.

But far from being the chocolate box pretty place that might be expected, it’s also a working city with an infrastructure to match. Like San Francisco in California or London in the UK, it seems that everyone in South Africa wants to live in Cape Town, making it one of the most coveted and expensive places in the country.

For the Brits, Cape Town is still one of the most affordable holiday destinations – the £ (despite the recent Brexit battering) is still strong compared to the Rand, so do not expect to pay an arm and a leg for top notch food, wine and some accommodation whilst there.

One of the best meals I had during the recent #Stellenblog 2016 tour was in Cape Town at a restaurant called the Chefs Warehouse Kitchen headed by Irish chef Liam Tomlin, but more on that later.

Cape Town is a mere 45 minutes drive from Stellenbosch where we spent most of our time during the tour (see my earlier review here and here including my 3 top dining recommendations in Stellenbosch). So it is a good place to start or end a holiday in South Africa’s Western Cape.

Where to StayPresident HotelThe President Hotel is a four-star hotel in the heart of the Bantry Bay area of Cape Town, a couple of blocks away from the seashore. It is a reasonably large hotel, a popular destination for holidaymakers and time-share owners, and offers everything from single or double rooms and suites to fully equipped self-catering flats.

My room was one of these flats, with two double bedrooms, a small kitchen, dining and living room areas. It had more than enough space for me as a single traveller, and was modern in its furnishing, affording great views over the sea, the swimming pool and surrounding areas.

Breakfast is taken overlooking the pool, where a generous buffet with many different dishes is available. There is a full selection of fresh fruits, juices and pastries, as well as cooked options, and good coffees and teas. It is well worth making time to enjoy the extensive breakfast buffet at the hotel.

The pool dominates the centre of the hotel, and is the focal point for breakfast and late afternoon drinks. The President Hotel is also one of the official stops for the Hop-on-Hope-off bus route, which has a circular route around Cape Town’s most popular spots, see What To Do section below.Where to EatChefs Warehouse & CanteenIn the heart of Cape Town, the Chefs Warehouse & Canteen is a casual eatery headed by Irish chef Liam Tomlin. It is a relaxed canteen-style restaurant that does not take bookings, and is popular for its tapas-style menu. Chefs Warehouse & Canteen is one of the most coveted tables in Cape Town right now, so make sure to arrive early (around 6pm!) to get a table for the evening.

I ordered the popular tapas for 2 menu – eight dishes for 540 Rand (currently £28 for two). Dishes change every day, so I’ll give you a brief description of what I ate but you will probably get something different if you visit.

The food was immaculately presented, fresh, zingy and well seasoned. The chefs clearly know what they are doing, and I enjoyed every dish on the menu. My only regret is that the portions were not bigger, so delicious were they! Cured beetroot salmon with horseradish cream came with micro-herbs.

Crisp fried squid with Sririracha (Asian chilli sauce) and guacamole – this was soft but with crispy outer layer and had just the right amount of heat for me.

Tuna and yellowtail with miso and sake was beautifully presented with micro-herbs and sliced baby radishes.

Roast onion risotto was served in gorgeous individual copper pans, scattered with chives and fried garlic, this was creamy and delicious and one of the highlights of the evening.

The sautée mushrooms with soft polenta and Parmesan cream was suffused with deliciously rich, earthy flavours from the funghi.

The confit rabbit, rabbit loin and Puy lentils.

The entrecote was a tiny portion, served rare with green vegetables, and I really enjoyed it.

The crayfish linguini with crayfish bisque was deliciously concentrated, and lifted by the addition of chives and basil.

I had a great dinner at Chefs Warehouse & Canteen, and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Cape Town. Tiger’s MilkIn the beach-side suburb of Cape Town known as Muizenberg, Tiger’s Milk is a popular dining spot famous for their burgers, pizza and steaks. Despite the name (tiger’s milk being the dressing for ceviche) there is no Peruvian connection to this restaurant.

I had a great burger there – the Rockstar – with medium rare beef, guacamole and cheese (£5). The patty was juicy and beautifully cooked, served with proper hand-cut chips, although I would have preferred pieces of avocado to the creamy guacamole, which made the burger a little too wet and challenging to eat.

What to DoHelicopter Ride with Cape Town Helicopters One of the most incredible experiences I had in Cape Town was a 25-minute helicopter ride around Table Top mountain with Cape Town helicopters.

Taking off from the V&A Waterfront, this was a breathtaking flight to see the city of Cape Town from the sea with Table Top Mountain in the background. We then soared above the mountain to see the view of the city and Atlantic Ocean from behind the mountain, as well as False Bay, Fish Hoek and Muizenberg.

Having flown over the Nazca Lines in Peru on a tiny little plane (reviewed here), I was worried about getting travel sick. But the helicopter ride was amazingly smooth and the 25 minutes literally flew by. The staff at Cape Town Helicopters were super-friendly, paying great attention to health and safety, which made me feel confident in flying with them.

I would thoroughly recommend using Cape Town Helicopters while in town. There are various trips available ranging from 12 to 60 minutes, at a variety of prices. The one I took was the Two Oceans (£100 per person for a 25 minute ride), which also included a free City Sightseeing bus ticket (the hop-on, hop-off one) for the day, worth £10.

Cable Car up Table MountainAnother experience not to be missed is going up Table Mountain by cable car. The ticket will cost as little as 240 Rand (£12), and the panoramic views of Cape Town from the top are breathtaking.

But there is so much more to Table Mountain than just the views – you can plan a full day of activities, free guided tours, hiking, learning about the unique vegetation and fauna.

Table Mountain is also a great place to watch the sunset, and for the more adventurous, abseiling is also possible.

I spent a few hours on top of the mountain, and it was difficult to tear myself away from the view to take the cable car down again – I could have stayed for hours.

Gary Surf SchoolLocated on the beach front at Surfer’s Corner, Muizenberg, Cape Town, Gary’s Surf School is a favourite for surfing enthusiasts wanting to learn the tricks of the trade.

Gorgeous Art Deco buildings in Muizenberg

A two hour class here costs 450 Rand (£24), and the school guarantees to get even complete beginners surfing within these two hours. I was very sceptical about this claim, but was surprised to see how having mastered a few techniques, it was not an insurmountable task.

The first half hour of the class is spent on the beach learning about the techniques (I never thought there would be so many needed to keep you afloat on a surf board!), but most importantly health and safety. The remaining 90 minutes were spent in the sea, and a lot of it involved falling off the board, trying but failing to catch the surf.

For me, the best part of the class was heading back to the school for a hearty breakfast of eggs Benedict over mushrooms and chunky bread!

Antique shops in the quaint town of Kalk BayOne of the most popular destinations along Cape Town’s False Bay, Kalk Bay’s Main Road is packed with antique shops, coffee shops, galleries, second-hand bookshops and restaurants.

Essentially a fishing village, Kalk Bay is still a lively working harbour as well as a fun place to visit, and makes for a great day trip from Cape Town.

I found this a pretty, arty little fishing village, and spent a few happy hours exploring the galleries, antique and book shops there. I would recommend a day trip there to anyone in Cape Town.

Hop-on, hop-off busTaxis in Cape Town have no meters, so haggling is required, and as a visitor you will find that prices fluctuate tremendously. I was surprised to find that the taxi ride from my hotel to the Cable Mountain cable car cost more than twice the cost of a whole day ticket on the hop-on, hop-off bus (£10.50), which links those two locations. There is a stop right outside the President Hotel.

I always smile when I see tourists in London on these buses, but I have to say if you have only a couple of days in a city, it’s a really great way to get around and I was very glad of it in Cape Town.

As well as offering two different routes, from my point of view the bus is great value, offers the option of stopping anywhere you like, and also has an informative commentary. There are spectacular views from the open-topped, London-style double decker bus.

The 2-day ticket (£16 per person) comes with a canal cruise, a wine tour, a night tour and a walking tour included in the price, which strikes me as amazing value. If you have not already purchased it, a one-day ticket comes free with Cape Town Helicopters.

2 comments:

Luis! It was so lovely to meet you at the British Pullman event. Your blog is wonderful, I love all of the insights you provide on the destination. I wish I discovered it earlier :-) Cape Town is beautiful from your photos and I'm looking forward to visiting with your recommendations!

About Me

Born in Brazil to Japanese and Italian parents, educated in the UK, a true Londoner. Former investment banker turned Cordon Bleu trained chef, food, wine and travel writer, Japanophile and Supper Club host in Islington.

Featured as One of the best UK websites for booking a restaurant

Contact Me

If you would like to learn more about any of my postings or just get in touch with your comments or suggestions of restaurants you would like me review, please drop me a line.
Please note - I DO NOT ADVERTISE on my blog.

Followers

*** THE LONDON FOODIE SUPPER CLUB - FUTURE DATES ***

Location: my home, Islington, from 6:30pm (supper club)

Cost: £45 + service (supper club), BYO

Upcoming Supper Club Events:

Japanese & Nikkei Supper Club

To be informed of upcoming dates for these events or reserve a spot in April or May, please email me at luizharaAThotmailDOTcom